Too Long Without You
by OddFeather
Summary: Oh, how it hurt him. How it hurt Mako. He missed her, but she was gone. And she was never going to come back. Three years ago from today, she died. Three years ago from today, he lost something that was important in his life.- Makorra. Surprise ending!
1. Hallucinations?

**Hey hey! So this story has been on my mind, so I wrote it down. I like how it turned out. I hope you will too! :D**

**I do not own the Legend of Korra.**

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It's been three years. Three_ long _years without_ her. _

Oh, how it hurt him. How it hurt Mako. He missed her, but she was gone. And she was never going to come back.

Three years ago from today, she died. Three years ago from today, he lost something that was important in his life. And that same day, he lost his scarf, too.

That day, he lost things that were so important to him. She, especially, was important. But they were gone.

Nobody had ever talked to him about it. They didn't want to cause him more pain. So they stayed silent. It was a good that they tried to keep quiet; otherwise Mako was sure he would have broken down.

But today, unlike any other day, was abnormally quiet. That was because it was the anniversary of her death. Because three years ago today, she died. This was the worst of day for Mako in the years without her.

Today, he was given a break from his job. Chief Beifong knew the day, and she gave let him go home earlier.

He walked to his apartment, deep in his thoughts, unable to shake the great sadness that he felt. It's not like he was going to try, though, he was too weak on this day.

_Three years._ He thought. _Three years without her. Why? Why did I have to be left with this? Every passing day, her memory seems to fade away from my mind more and more…why did she have to die?_

Tears built up in his eyes, and he quickly shut them, suppressing the feeling of loneliness. _Why? Why couldn't I have been there to protect her? Why couldn't I have been with her? Why couldn't it have been me? I didn't get to tell her so much…..and now she's gone. Korra's gone…forever. She's never coming back. _

Mako clenched his jaw and tightly shut his eyes, keeping the sob from escaping his lips.

He walked up the steps to his apartment, feeling his heart break into a million pieces as more cruel thoughts crossed his mind, and he opened the door to his apartment. He stopped midway, thinking of so many things. _What if I had been there with her? It's all my fault she died! I wasn't there to protect her!_

Oh, how he dreaded this day. He knew he could have helped her, he knew she could have lived. And it was all his fault she died, because he wasn't there for her.

He let a sigh, and then opened the door all the way, walking in to his apartment staring at the floor.

Immediately, he sensed something was off. A peculiar and familiar scent filled his nose.

He stopped, his eyes going wide. _It couldn't be….._

He looked up, and saw it- he saw her. He froze, his eyes glued to hers.

She, herself, was a little startled.

He looked at her, and then shook his head. _It's just another hallucination! Oh why do the spirits taunt me? _He thought bitterly, tears threatening to spill.

"Mako….." Korra said. "It's….it's me."

It was too much. It was too much for him. He couldn't take it any longer. He couldn't take the hallucinations, and he couldn't hold in his emotions any longer.

He finally broke. His tears fell down, and he began to sob as he walked into his room, slamming the door shut.

He sat down on his bed, his head in his hands, letting everything come out. He was broken.

The door quietly opened, revealing a sad Korra. She watched a quietly as Mako cried, and on the inside her heart broke.

Mako did a quick glance at her. _She'll be gone as soon as she touches me. She's nothing but another hallucination, after all. _He thought bitterly, and more tears poured down his cheeks.

Korra walked over to him, and sat down next to him. She lifted her hand, and went to place it on his shoulder, but stopped in the midair as if debating on something. She shook her head, and proceeded to place her hand on his shoulder.

Mako felt warmth. He stopped sobbing, his tears leaving trails down his cheeks. He looked at her, his eyes wide.

_She isn't a hallucination. She's actually here!_ He thought.

He stared at her in shock for a minute, before leaning down and giving her a big hug. "Korra!" he exclaimed, tears of happiness replacing the ones of sadness.

Korra herself was crying tears of joy.

Mako hugged tighter. "Korra! I can't believe you're here!" he said, his voice cracking.

Korra smiled. "I missed you, Mako." She said quietly.

"I missed you, too." Mako said sincerely. Oh, how he missed her. He missed everything about her. He even missed the fights they used to have. "I just…I can't believe it." He said before pulling away from the hug.

Korra looked at him, her eyes sparkling. Out of everything about her, he missed her bright blue eyes the most.

He took her face in both of his hands and kissed her, feeling the spark he hasn't felt in three years.

It was a long kiss, which neither of them minded. They did pull away at some point, and Mako rested his forehead on hers, staring into her eyes.

"I'm so glad you're back." Mako whispered.

"You won't believe what happened." Korra began. "I was-"

"Tell me the story tomorrow." Mako said. "For today, I just want to be happy that you're back."

Korra smiled.

Mako smiled after he yawned. He was exhausted from the earlier events. "I need some rest." He stated.

Korra chuckled. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek before sitting up straight.

Mako smiled, and he adjusted himself so he was at the top of the bed. He held Korra's hand, and she sat on the side, smiling and staring at Mako.

He slightly tugged at her arm, and she reluctantly lay down, and he wrapped his arms around her.

In what seemed like forever, he will finally be able to get decent sleep, now that he knew that Korra was here.

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**I loved writing the end!...or is it the end? That is something I was going to say. If you can guess the song that I listened to the whole time I wrote this, I will write another chapter. I have my idea. And I will put hints in my profile, so yeah! Can you guess what the song is? Don't worry, there will be plenty of hints. You get the idea! For now, please review! **


	2. Surprise

**Hey hey! So, I woke up this morning and I checked my email and and I had an answer! The answer was "Without You", which was sung by Usher and was on the David Guetta album "Nothing But The Beat". I was happy to write this, so I hope you enjoy it! For the record, Korra and Mako are 22 and 23! I don't know why I decided that, but oh well. **

**I do not own the Legend of Korra.**

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Mako woke up, expecting to find Korra still in his arms. His breath caught in his throat as he felt nothing.

His eyes shot open and he looked around his room. He got up, panicked.

_Oh please don't let it have been a hallucination! _He screamed in his head. He got up and searched his apartment, but he didn't find Korra.

Right at the moment he was about to break down, he saw a note on the table. Mako moved over and read the note.

"_Mako, I went to talk to Tenzin at Air Temple Island. I'll be back soon!_

_-Korra"_

Mako let out a shaky breath. _It wasn't a hallucination. _

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Mako quickly walked over and opened it to find Bolin standing there, waiting patiently.

"Yeah, Bo?" Mako said.

"Well…I meant to come by yesterday, but I got busy…and well, you know what day it was yesterday…" Bolin said slowly.

Mako nodded, understanding. "It's okay, Bo; I'm fine."

"Mako, it's not fine." Bolin protested.

"Bolin, Korra's alive." Mako stated.

Bolin looked at his brother in shock. Then he raised his eyebrows. "Are you hallucinating, again?" he asked.

Mako scoffed. "No. I'm not."

"If you're not, then where is she?" Bolin asked. _He's definitely hallucinating again. _He thought, inwardly sighing.

"She went to go speak with Tenzin. She left this note." Mako replied, holding up the note.

Bolin looked at it. "That's it, Mako." Bolin said, taking his brother by the arm and dragging him inside Mako's apartment.

"What-Bolin! What are you doing?" Mako asked.

"Mako, we've already talked about this when you were hallucinating. I hate that I have to do it again, but…Korra's gone. Don't you remember us talking about it?"

"Bolin, I'm not hallucinating." Mako stated angrily.

"Mako, seriously, you need to-"

"Did you read the note I left, Mako?" came Korra's voice.

Mako and Bolin both looked and saw Korra standing at the door, panting from running.

Bolin's jaw dropped, and Mako smiled. _Good, I'm not hallucinating. _

Mako turned to Bolin. "I believe you have something to say to me."

"Sorry I didn't believe you." He said after turning to Mako. "I'll just…..go now…" he said, then he walked past Korra and out of the apartment.

"What was that about?" Korra asked, walking towards Mako.

"He thought I was…." He stopped in the middle of his sentence.

"That you were?"

Mako sighed. "I really missed you, Korra. And well I might have gone a little…I guess the right way to put it is insane, and for a short while I….."

Korra leaned in. "I know, Mako….."

"What?"

"I missed you a lot, too. It was a struggle for me….and then there was this thing with some hallucinations….."

Mako stared at Korra. "You…? You had hallucinations too…..?"

"Yeah…..I guess I missed all of you guys more than I thought…" she said.

Mako smiled, then leaned down and kissed her.

They pulled away at the same time (reluctantly) and both of them smiled, holding each other's hand.

"Oh! Mako!" Korra said suddenly, her cheeks reddening. "I'm sorry….and I think you want this back." She said, pulling a bag from her pocket, and then she gave it to Mako.

Mako opened the bag, and he saw red fabric. His eyes widened. "Is this…?"

Korra nodded. "I-I found it at the arena the day I left….I stumbled across it and I tried to return it, but I had to leave….."

Mako smiled. He took it out of the bag, but instead of wrapping it around his neck, he wrapped it around Korra's.

Korra was shocked. "M-Mako- I appreciate the gesture, but this is your _father's_ scarf."

"It's okay." Mako said, wrapping his arms around Korra. "That way, you'll always have a little piece of me."

Korra smiled. They both leaned in and kissed each other.

For the first time in three years, they both felt complete.

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**Okay, maybe it's not what any of you were expecting, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways! Now, I have to go, because I have to put up the next chapter for my other story "Do You Feel The Same Way?"! By the way, I think I am going to write another chapter for this! Oooh, what will it be? And if you want to send me a private message and ask about hints, I will give some! So yeah! Please review!**


	3. Not A Dream

**Hi hi! It feels so good to write the third and final chapter of this story; sorry it took me so long! I knew what I was going to do, but I couldn't think of how to write it. Haha, it was funny when I was rereading some of my other stories. I was like: "Did I really write this? Really? Okay, that cannot be my work." :P**

**I do not own the Legend of Korra.**

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There was no noise between them as they stared at one another, fixated, while lying next to each other. The only movement was that of Mako, who was gently stroking Korra's hair while he took in her being.

_She doesn't look like she's hurt in any way… _he thought. _She looks completely healthy…._

Suddenly, he heard her chuckle. He emerged from his thoughts and looked at her curiously.

"What?" he asked.

"You." she said. "You're staring at me like when a polar-bear dog sees a fish."

Mako rolled his eyes. "Well excuse me for missing you." he teased.

Korra smiled. Mako's heart beat picked up at the sight, and he too smiled.

Dead silence came over them again, and Mako continued to stroke her hair. Korra leaned into his caressing touch, remembering the sensation from before three years ago. The same softness he used to have had never faded, and she loved that it didn't. That was one of the many things she missed most about him.

She felt some sort of sadness shoot through her. "I never explained why I left, did I?" she said suddenly, breaking the silence with a ragged voice.

Mako paused his stroking, his hand hovering over her cheek. When he did not move again, Korra sat up and pulled the blanket closer to her. Mako sat up, too.

"No." he replied back in a whisper. "You didn't."

It took a moment for Korra to say anything again. "Well…you have a right to know."

Mako nodded, though there was a part of him that was unsure if he wanted to know.

"Alright…" began Korra. She hesitated, and she cleared her throat before starting. "For the record, I don't understand this at all. I go to Air Temple Island one day and suddenly Tenzin says that I'll be leaving….I didn't understand it then, I don't understand it now. According to him, this was the White Lotus' idea.

"They thought I needed to learn about the nations cultures. They wanted me to travel the world, observing so many things…..I thought it would be cool at first, but soon I realized I would be without everyone close to me…like you, Bolin, Asami, and Tenzin…. I protested against it, but them being the White Lotus, I really didn't have a say in it by then. Their decision was final, and soon I was sent aboard some ship and was heading for the Fire Nation.

"I was very lonely throughout the whole time. All I had from anyone was your scarf, and I was dying to give it back. I had kept it hidden in a drawer in the room I had lived in, and I never took it out unless I was upset about something. It kind of comforted me, you know? It kind of gave me hope that someday I would see you again….I would be able to throw my arms around you and kiss you….."

Mako smiled, and he leaned so close to her that she could feel his breath on her face. "Yeah, it has always had that feeling." he said softly. His smile faltered for a moment. "But why did they make everyone think you were dead? The White Lotus?"

"You know, I'll never know why they did that." Korra replied. "It was very extreme, what they did….now the whole world is going to hate me because they are going to think I had abandoned them or something; and it wasn't even my fault!"

Mako inched a little closer. His smile had crossed his face again. "Well, it isn't. At least I know that you're alive and here with me now, though. It has been a long, hard three years without you, and I intend to make up all those years."

They both stared longingly at each other, neither doing a thing, before Mako closed the little gap between them, and their lips met. Korra's stomach did flips, like it had done all those years ago when she had first kissed him in front of the Pro-bending Arena, where she had been so nervous of rejection, when she really had nothing to fear at all, as he had kissed her back. She loved the sensation, as it brought back all the memories they had shared together.

Mako's hand had found her cheek, and caressed it in his palm. _All those years without her…._he thought. _And I still feel that warm sensation spreading through me. _

They had both pulled away, Mako resting his forehead on Korra's, and Korra sighed happily. In her mind, she kept hoping that it wasn't a dream, as something about what was happening seemed like it was. She kept hoping that she couldn't wake up in her cold room with the sound of waves crashing around her, all alone again, missing the warmth that she felt now, at this moment. She did not want to wake up to that. She knew for sure that she would break down because of it.

She also hoped that she wouldn't be sent back onto that ship. At least, not alone. She would at least want Mako to come with her.

Mako seemed to notice that she had gotten lost in thought. "Is something on your mind?"

"What if this is all a dream?" she whispered, her voice cracking.

Mako smiled softly. "I promise you, Korra, it's not. And if it is, then I will come and look for you, wherever you are."

Korra smiled. "Yeah, but if it is a dream and I wake up, how would you know I am even alive?"

"You'd be surprised." Mako replied with a laugh. "But I swear, it is not a dream."

Korra smiled, and let Mako begin to stroke her hair back from her face before she leaned in again and kissed him.

So it wasn't a dream, afterall.

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**Dude, what's up with the last dramatic line that I almost always add at the end? O.o Lol anyways, that concludes this story. Thanks for all the following, favoriting, and reviews! I really appreciate it! **


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